Petersen wins GOP nod for AZ attorney general; plus results of other statewide races

So has state Rep. Alexander Kolodin in his bid to be secretary of state.

And current state Treasurer Kimberly Yee will be the GOP nominee for state schools chief, while Elijah Norton will win the party's nod to replace her.

Aside from the governor's race in the November general election between Andy Biggs and Katie Hobbs, the contest for attorney general, in which Petersen defeated Rodney Glassman in Tuesday's primary, could be the most watched.

Incumbent Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, squeaked into office in the 2022 election by just 280 votes over Republican Abe Hamadeh, who later went on to be elected to Congress.

At that time the only public office Mayes had held was as a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission. And that was as a Republican.

Now Mayes has built a reputation as someone willing to take on larger causes, including filing suit against a Saudi company she is accusing of creating a nuisance given the amount of groundwater it is pumping to grow alfalfa in La Paz County — alfalfa that is shipped to the Middle East to feed dairy cattle.

But she also has gained criticism from Petersen for filing nearly four dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration, many in concert with attorneys general in other states, over issues as diverse as tariffs, birthright citizenship and the decision by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to build a detention facility in Surprise.

Potentially more controversial, she indicted 11 Republicans whom she accused of forgery and conspiracy for signing documents that falsely said Donald Trump won the 2020 vote in Arizona and that they were entitled to cast the state's 11 electoral votes. That indictment also named aides and attorneys to the president, with Trump cited as an "unindicted co-conspirator."

She dismissed the case after a ruling that the grand jury did not get all the information it needed but said she is preparing another indictment.

But Petersen, who was part of a Senate "audit" of the 2020 election amid claims that Trump had, in fact, won, already has said that if he is elected those charges against the "fake electors" will go away — permanently.

Mayes cited Petersen's role in that audit as a reason that voters should reject his candidacy in November, saying it fueled "baseless attacks on Arizona's elections." The Senate audit confirmed that Trump lost to Joe Biden.

Glassman, in losing to Petersen, did leave Mayes with a potential issue for the November election.

He noted that Petersen, after getting a divorce, introduced legislation that could reduce the amount of spousal maintenance.

Secretary of state  

In nominating Alexander Kolodin to represent the party in the race for secretary of state, Republicans chose someone with a record of questioning the accuracy of prior election returns.

He was involved in filing several lawsuits seeking to set aside the results of the 2020 race, all of which were dismissed. Courts found they lacked merit and the State Bar of Arizona placed the Scottsdale Republican on probation for 18 months for violating ethical rules that govern the conduct of lawyers.

Kolodin, for his part, said he was the victim of "political activists."

In a social media post Tuesday, he said he would "restore lawfulness, stability and common sense to the office of Arizona Secretary of State."

But questions remain whether he can win a general election against incumbent Democrat Adrian Fontes.

In fact, Gina Swoboda, the former state GOP chair whom Kolodin defeated in Tuesday's primary, has said his views about elections are too far from the mainstream to attract most voters, and she predicted his nomination would secure a second term for Fontes.

Kolodin is the author of a measure being put on the November ballot that would require proof of identification to vote. Foes say that could eliminate the possibility of voting by mail, which has remained popular among those from both major parties.

But Kolodin has never made any secret of his disdain for early voting.

He filed suit on behalf of the Arizona Republican Party in a bid to have early voting ruled unconstitutional. Kolodin contended that the only form of voting specifically authorized by the framers of the state Constitution is in person and on Election Day. He contends anything else — including the current system of no-excuse mail voting created by the Legislature in 1991 — is illegal.

His case was thrown out by the Arizona Supreme Court.

Superintendent of public instruction 

State schools chief Tom Horne apparently is not going to get another four-year term.

Results early Wednesday showed state Treasurer Kimberly Yee, who cannot seek reelection to that office, leading Horne by about six points.

The pair had areas of agreement, including their support for a system of vouchers that allows any student to get state funds to attend private or parochial schools or to be homeschooled. Both also oppose a ballot measure crafted by the Arizona Education Association and Save Our Schools to impose new rules about how those voucher dollars can be spent and limiting what are known as Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to families earning less than $150,000 a year.

But Horne drew the ire of some, including Yee, by seeking further scrutiny of purchases, particularly after reports that voucher dollars were being used for items like lingerie, jewelry and trips to amusement parks.

Horne said such oversight is necessary to protect public confidence in the program. Yee said he does not have such authority in state law.

Democrats, meanwhile, nominated Teresa Ruiz to be their nominee for superintendent of public instruction. She defeated Brett Newby. Ruiz cited her experience including 25 years as a math teacher, as well as her role as former president of Glendale Community College.

Treasurer 

In the race to replace Kimberly Yee as state treasurer, insurance company executive Elijah Norton was outpolling Katherine Haley to be the Republican nominee.

Norton cited his experience as founder of Veritas Global Protection, a company that sells extended warranties on vehicles. That role, he said, means he has to take the premiums received and find ways to invest them to be available to pay future claims.

He has been dismissive of Haley's background running a company she said advises organizations on investment and strategic planning.

The two disagreed about the larger question of exactly how involved the elected treasurer should be in the day-to-day decisions of what to buy and sell, decisions which generally are made by professional staffers. Plus, there are state laws that set limits, as well as oversight from the State Board of Investment.

The more activist role sought by Norton drew criticism from Yee. She said the treasurer should not be making those picks but instead hiring the best qualified managers.

Nick Mansour ran unopposed Tuesday in the Democratic primary.

Mansour already is taking aim at Norton, starting with pointing out the snub from Yee.

He said Norton's car warranty companies have accumulated hundreds of Better Business Bureau complaints and multiple lawsuits, though Mansour did not mention the outcome of any of them.

Corporation Commission 

In the race for Arizona Corporation Commission, incumbent Kevin Thompson was leading among the three Republicans vying for the two available seats.

State Rep. Ralph Heap led incumbent Nick Myers by about 11,500 votes early Wednesday for the second slot.

Thompson and Myers defended their record of ending various "Green New Deal" programs like requiring utilities to get a certain percentage of energy from alternative sources. But that wasn't enough for Heap, who sided with Trump in calling for more use of fossil fuels, including coal.

Democrats Jonathon Hill and Clara Pratte ran Tuesday without opposition and advance to the November general election.